Travel trends for 2017
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This time last year I wrote a column for Travel Daily on travel trends to watch out for in 2016: trends that affect the way we travel and the way people book, buy and manage that travel for us.
The big story then was the sharing economy, the disruptive suppliers within it and their speedy infiltration of the corporate travel market thanks to – mainly – travellers booking independently. I also highlighted duty of care and traveller risk as two massive issues affecting the industry in 2016 and, as we come to the end of this year and prepare for a new one, all three topics are still very relevant in the world of business travel and will continue to impact the way buyers buy travel and travellers travel in 2017.
The sharing economy has matured significantly this year with both Uber and Airbnb launching products for the business traveller and buyers’ confidence in alternative transport and accommodation providers has increased. The Business Travel Show annual buyer survey showed that more than a quarter (28 per cent) of travel managers now include sharing economy suppliers – aka interrupters – in their travel programmes, compared to just 8 per cent last.
Duty of care also remains firmly on the agenda. 83 per cent of travel managers accept the safety of their travellers as their responsibility and, in the last 12 months alone, more than three quarters (79 per cent) have reviewed their traveller risk strategies to ensure they provide greater duty of care.
We now know what will still be on trend in travel, but what’s new for 2017? Well, one thing that didn’t even exist this time last year and will surely have a big impact is, of course, Brexit. Our survey showed that 16 per cent of UK business travel buyers are already facing higher prices thanks to our forthcoming exit from the European Union and despite Article 50 not having being triggered yet. This compares to just 6 per cent across buyers in continental Europe.
Another big buzz word for 2017 is travellercentricity. This is the culture shift that’s taking place among organisations towards focusing on what’s good for the employee based on the understanding it will also (eventually) be good for the bottom line, and it is gradually being embraced in the corporate travel world, too. This move towards providing a personalised service will only accelerate in 2017 – you can read my previous Travel Daily column to find out more at https://traveldailymedia.com/features/244602/one-size-fits-none/
And finally, technology will continue to challenge buyers and expand their options in equal measure as innovations come thicker and faster than ever, blowing the old certainties of managing corporate travel wide open. Visitors to the Business Travel Show can expect to hear discussions on chatbots and FinTech, among others: all 60+ sessions of which are free for buyers to attend and designed to help them survive everything this industry will throw at them for the next 12 months.
The Business Travel Show takes place on 22-23 February 2017, Olympia Grand, London, and is attended by 270 exhibitors and 7,730 business travel professionals. Register for a free visitor pass at www.businesstravelshow.com.
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